Name of the Week

 

Isabella's spirited and spunky big sister.

 

Origin:

An alternate spelling of the Ancient Greek name Isidora (Ισιδώρα), composed of the elements "Isis" and δωρον (doron) "gift."  Isis was an Egyptian goddess in origin; the name Isis was a Hellenised form of the Eqyptian Ast, or Ist, most likely translating as "(she of) the throne." Indeed, in early depictions she was shown wearing a throne shaped crown. To the Egyptians, she was the wife of Osiris, judge and ruler of the dead, and mother of the sky god Horus. She was much revered by women, to whom she was the queen of heaven, earth, life and death, and presided over many women's activities as the rolemodel of the faithful wife and devoted mother.  In both the Hellenistic and Roman world, during the last centuries BC, groups that worshipped specific dieties began to propogate. The cult of Isis was one of the most popular and her worship was spread throughout the ancient world. Her devotees were often of high status, and included members of the urban aristocracy. A temple in her honour was built in Rome by Augustus; visited by both devotees of Isis and those who worshipped her as part of a polytheism of state gods.

Usage:

The masculine form Isidoros, and variant Isidotos, are found among the thirty most popular masculine names attested in ancient Athenian records*. Though women's names are not recorded as frequently, several examples of Isidora and Isidote can be found across Greece from the Hellenistic period. Examples of the name are particularly prevalent throughout the Roman Empire, when the cult of Isis spread and gained prominance. Even after the cult was surpressed as a result of the Christianising of the Empire, the names survived. Isidore is found on several notable Christian figures: Egyptian theologian Isidore of Pelusium (d.c.449), Saint Isidore of Seville (c.560—636), and Saint Isidore the Farmer (c.1070—1130), and theologian Isidore of Kiev (1385—1463). Isidora was born by an Egyptian saint and hermitess who lived in the 4th century.  It is interesting to note that the two Christian saints named Isidore came from Spain: a place were Isis worship had been particularly prevalent in the Roman empire. There the names flourished, but elsewhere were rare during the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the name can mostly be found used in Jewish and Catholic communities.  The 1851 UK census lists only six Isidoras and three Isadoras; there were 17 in 1861 (mostly spelt Isadora), 40 in 1871; 53 in 1881; 57 in 1891 and 98 in 1900.   As with the 19th century, Isadora was registered only a handful of times each year throughout the 20th century. Between 1996 and 2009 in England and Wales, Isadora had a birth count between 4 and 21. In 2010 the name ranked #1332 (23 births) and was #1168 (28 births) in 2011. The spelling Isidora is less common, having only ranked with 3-6 births in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2008.  In Scotland, both Isadora and Isidora have only ranked once in the last four years; both were registered once in 2010.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St Isidora, a 4th century Egyptian saint. * Isidora Zegers (1803—1869), Spanish artist and composer. * Isidora Sekulić (1877—1958), Serbian writer and adventurer.  * Isadora Duncan (1877—1927), famous American dancer. Contemporary: * Isidora Bjelica (b.1967), Serbian prose writer and playwrite. * Isadora Williams (b.1996), American figure skater. Literature and Other Media: * Isadora Quagmire, a character in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series. * Isidora, a character in Charles Maturin's Gothic novel Melmoth the Wanderer (1820).  * Isadora Wing, protagonist in Erica Jomg's novel Fear of Flying (1973).

Variants:

Isidora

Pronunciation:

iz-ə-DOR-ə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Dolly, Dora, Dory, Isa, Izzy, Ria, Rory, Sadie, Sidra, Siri, Zadie, Zora

Sibling Names:

Beatrix     Arabella     Mathilde     Agatha     Octavia     Allegra  Casper     Phineas     Maximus     Cosmo     Emmanuel     Horatio

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance    Modern Antiquity    Gothic Victoriana

 

If you like Isadora you may also like:   Dorothea, Minerva, Theodora, Philomena, Xanthe, Juliana, Euphemia, Araminta, Leonora, Sybil